OBJECT LESSONS continued you found them, it would not be long until you were in trouble. In thinking of having a license to fish, I am reminded of Paul’s words in Galatians 5:13, “Ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Paul was writing to people who had ac cepted Christ as Saviour, and who, therefore, had liberty. He warned them not to think that just because they had • liberty, they had a license to do anything they wanted to do. They were told that they should serve one another by love. Instead of serv ing one another by love, they were disputing. There are many Christian people who think and act this same way today. If asked whether they have taken Christ as their Saviour, they say, “Yes,” but the way they act indicates that they are using their liberty to live a selfish life. In Galatians 6:2 we read, “ Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We need to help people and not hinder them. Our liberty in Christ does not give us license to treat people unkindly. June 28, 1953 L e a r n in g a S ecr e t OBJECTS: A small sack of salt, a piece of cardboard about 12 inches square, and a small stick with which to prop up the cardboard. LESSON: This sack of salt and this piece of cardboard are like people. The sack of salt is like a Christian, and the cardboard like a person who is not a Christian. Notice how solidly this sack of salt sits up without be ing propped up. The cardboard can not stand for even an instant without the support of the stick. You will be surprised when I tell you that the sack has something to support it, too, but its prop is on the_ inside. The pure salt which fills the sack causes it to stand. It would be impossible to make an empty cloth sack stand alone. The real difference, then, between these two objects is in the fact that the sack has an inside support, while the cardboard is propped from the outside. This is one of the many differences between Christians and the unsaved. Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and Christ, and, therefore, do not need the outside props that others require to keep them from falling. An example of this truth is found in the life of Paul. He could say:
“ I can do,all things through Christ which strengthened! me” (Phil. 4:13). His was a happy heart because he needed no outside props, but only the strength which came by having Christ within his heart and life. How differently the unsaved look at hard tasks. They often say, “ If you will go with me and help, I can do it.” Notice how easily the cardboard is made to fall. The prop is removed
ADVOCACY from page 19 There arises now One from where He has been seated at the right hand of the Father’s throne (Heb. 10:12). There He stands before fhe court as the believer’s great defense attorney (Heb. 9:24). How fortunate we are, for who could better plead our case than One who was “ tempted in all points like as we are, yet with out sin” (Heb. 4:15). As Captain of our salvation, Christ has never lost a battle. As the Advocate who pleads the cause of sinning saints (1 John 2:1), He has never lost a case. But what can He say to plead such a case as ours? Notice, He does not plead our case, for we have none and are guilty of the sins of which we are being accused. Christ pleads rather His own Person and work. What argument does He present to dismiss the charge against us? “Five bleeding wounds He bears,” as mute evidence that He has already borne the penalty for that sin (Zech. 12:10; 13:6). The crime has been com mitted and Satan’s accusation is just, but the penalty for that crime already has been taken by Christ in His death upon the cross. The verdict is im mediately given: the defendant is acquitted, for the court will not de mand payment twice for the same transgression. Satan, the accuser, slinks out of court defeated in his attempt to seize the soul of the ac cused out of its place of security in Christ. Meanwhile, the defendant re joices with all saints that neither death, nor life, nor (fallen) angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate him from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Advocate and wonderful Lord (Rom. 8:38, 39). Though the restless foe accuses, Sins recounting like a flood; Every charge our God refuses, Christ has answered with His blood. What though th’ Accuser roar, Of sins that I have done? I know them well, and thousands more, Jehovah findeth none. The secret of being a saint, is being a saint in secret.
with my little finger, and down it goes. This is the danger of having the life propped from without—the props are easily removed, and then comes a fall. The safe way is to be strengthened from within by the Lord Jesus, and to be able to say with Paul: “ I can do all things through Christ which strengthened! me” even though he was in a prison when he wrote these words. OUT OF THE LAB from page 17 the theologian proceeds in a manner quite similar to the scientist. The theologian’s facts are the words of the Scripture. He takes these facts and builds from them a system of theology which for all practical pur poses is equivalent to theories of sci ence, theological theories if you will. As in the case of scientific facts, the scriptural facts frequentiy can be in- terpreted in more than one way. Just as the Christian has a right to insist upon a scriptural interpretation of the facts of science so has the Chris tian scientist a right to insist that where the facts of science have re vealed the correct interpretation of Scripture that that the theologian abandon theological theories which are no longer tenable scientifically. In fact in this way science is a help to the theologian because it can aid in in choosing between two possible interpretations of Scripture. Thus, without compromising any funda mental doctrines, science instead of being an enemy of the faith can be its co-laborer. Christ is not sweet until sin is made bitter to us.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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